Less than 1 additional day
(from 7.99 days to 8.83 days)
Increase in the mean number of poor mental health days in the past 30 days reported by employed sexual minority adults between 2018 and 2022 who resided in states that implemented employment protection for LGBTQ+ workers. The study encompasses the time before and after the 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County U.S. Supreme Court decision, which allowed states to extend nondiscrimination protection to sexual minority adults.
2 additional days
(from 7.75 days to 9.75 days)
Increase in the mean number of poor mental health days in the past 30 days reported by employed sexual minority adults between 2018 and 2022 who worked in states that did not implement Bostock protections.
Less than 4%
(from 26.35% to 29.92%)
Increase in rates of severe mental distress between 2018 and 2022 among employed sexual minority adults in states that implemented Bostock protections. Severe mental distress was defined as 14 or more poor mental health days in the previous month. The study time frame also corresponded with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively influenced mental health outcomes overall.
More than 7%
(from 26.53% to 34.26%)
Increase in rates of severe mental distress among employed sexual minority adults in states that did not implement nondiscrimination employment protection for LGBTQ+ adults.
